Printing apparatus



Dec. 15, 1959 R. E. BOYDEN ETAI- 2,916,989

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nit-e States atent O PRINTING APPARATUS Robert E. Boyden, Ithaca, N.Y., and Fred N. Schwend, El Monte, Califi, assignors to Clary Corporation, San Gabriel, Calif, a corporation of California Original application December 5, 1955, Serial No. 550,940. Divided and this application June 16, 1958, Serial No. 742,081

8 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) This invention relates to data processing equipment and has particular reference to a machine such as a cash register for processing and recording data.

Data processing and recording machines of the above type often record fixed data such as column headings along with variable data. In the case of cash registers or sales transaction registering machines, such items as store names, dates, etc., are also recorded as fixed data. Usually the fixed data is recorded by a form printer which is separate from but associated with a variable data printer.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form printer for machines of the above type.

Another object is to provide a printer which obviates the need for an inked printing ribbon to transfer type impressions.

Another object is to provide a form printer with means for selectively printing certain areas only of a type block.

Another object is to provide a form printer having provisions for readily interchanging certain portions of the type.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sales transaction registering machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view through the machine and is taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the form printer and is taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view, with parts broken away, illustrating the form printer.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of the form printer and is taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating some of the controls associated with the form print control bar.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a specimen tape produced by the machine.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a customers token.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view illustrating the clutch controls.

The present application is a division of the Boyden et al. patent application, Serial No. 550,940, filed on December 5, 1955, and entitled Merchandise Regstering Apparatus. Also, the machine disclosed herein embodies certain mechanism which is basically similar to that found in the well-known Clary adding machine, and reference is therefore made to the R. E. Boyden Patent No. 2,583,810, issued on January 29, 1952, and the E. P. Drake Patent No. 2,472,696, issued on June 7, 1949, for details of the basic Clary adding machine.

The machine is primarily intended to record sales 2,916,989 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 ice transactions and is of the full keyboard type. However, it will be obvious as the description proceeds that the machine with perhaps minor changes could be employed for other purposes. Also, the invention could be embodied in other types of machines.

Describing first the general operation of the machine in effecting a sales transaction, the department, clerk, and transaction code numbers are first set up on amount keys 40. Thereafter, a form print bar 18 is depressed, causing operation of the machine to actuate a form printer mechanism, generally indicated at 20 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) to print a sales receipt heading 21 (Fig. 8) on a paper tape 22 which is fed through the machine from a suitable supply roll (not shown). The heading 21 includes a suitable title 23 which may comprise a store name (not shown) and a set of column identifying titles 24.

If the transaction is to be of the charge" type, an imprint 25 of a customers charge token 26 (Fig. 9) is normally made during the form print operation, thus identifying the customer by name and address. The token 26 may be of any suitable well-known construction having the customers name, address, etc., embossed thereon. Such a token is disclosed, for example, in the patent to Dugdale, No. 1,801,593, issued on April 21, 1931.

During the form print operation, the first line 28 indicating the department number and type of transaction is printed by an amount or data printer, generally indicated at 30 (Fig.2).

The customers credit number is then set up in the left hand section of the amount keys and is entered into the machine by depressing one of two add bars 33, this data being printed on line 29 of the paper tape by the amount printer 30.

Thereafter, the data pertaining to each of the items beingsold and the amount of the transaction is recorded by the amount printer by entering such data in the keyboard and depressing an add bar 33.

After all items of the transaction have been entered, a total bar 35 is depressed, causing operation of the machine to take a total from an accumulator 27 (Fig. 2) and to print the same on the tape. Following this operation, the tape may be severed by tearing the same along a serrated tear-off edge 1155 to form a customers receipt or the like.

The machine comprises a plurality of denominationally arranged differential actuator racks 11 (Fig. 2) controlled by rows of amount keys 40, the racks being effective to transmit digitizing movement to and between the accumulator 27 and the amount printer 30.

Each of the amount keys 40 comprises a keystem 41 guided for vertical movement in aligned slots formed in keyboard frame plates 42 and 43. The lower ends of the key stems cooperate with spaced shoulders 44 formed on the aligned racks 11 to limit forward advancement of each rack to a number of increments corresponding to the value of a key depressed in the associated row.

The machine is driven by an electric motor (not shown) through a cyclic clutch 51 (Fig. 10), the driven side of which is connected to a rotatable drive shaft 52. The clutch is effective to cause a complete rotation of the shaft during each cycle of operation of the machine.

The machine is controlled to perform different functions by depressing various control bars, such as the total bar 35, a subtotal bar 97, non-add bar 98 and subtract bar 100. For this purpose, a clutch control bar 56 is located under the above bars and is connected through a hook 61 to a clutch control dog 62. When any of the bars 35, 97, 98 and 100 is depressed, it will engage a pin, like pin 93, carried on an arm 94 pivotally supported at 95, causing the pin to move down an in clined camming slot 96 formed in the bar 56 so as to move the latter to the left, forcing the dog 62 counter clockwise to cause engagement of the clutch. The add bars 33 are also each effective, upon depression, to move the clutch control bar 56 through linkage (not shown).

Means are provided for yieldably advancing the various racks 11 toward the left, as seen in Fig. 2, during the first part of the machine cycle and for returning the same to their illustrated positions during the latter part of the cycle. The racks are provided with slots 67 and 68 which are slideably guided over rack support shafts 70 and 71, respectively. The shaft 7a is guided for fore and aft transverse movement in a manner not shown by slide bearings in the machine frame work and is operated by suitable linkage (not shown) from the shaft 52. The shaft 71 is stationary.

Each rack has opposed notches 72 located at the closed end of its slot 67, the notches being normally engaged by rollers 73 carried by pawls 74 which are pivotally mounted on the shaft 70. A tension spring 75 urges each pair of pawls in opposite directions whereby to hold the rollers 73 in driving engagement with the notches 72. However, during advancement of the racks, and when one thereof engages the stem of a depressed one of the keys 40, the rollers 73 will ride out of the notches 72 and along the edges of the slot 67 in that rack.

The printer 30 (Fig. 2) comprises a series of numeral printing wheels 76, each operatively entrained with a respective one of the racks 11. Each printer wheel has a series of type characters spaced therearound and ranging in value from to 9. Each printer wheel is rotatably mounted on an individual arm 78 loosely keyed on a printer control shaft 80 and urged clockwise by a tension spring 81. A gear 82, integral with each printer wheel, is maintained in continual mesh with a gear 83 also carried by the respective arm 78.

Except during printing operations, the arms 78 are held in their illustrated positions by the shaft 80 wherein the gears 83 mesh with associated idler gears 84 rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 85. The latter idler gears are held in continual mesh with offset rack sections 86 carried by the various racks 11.

During the mid-portion of each cycle, and after the various racks 11 have been advanced to different positions limited by depressed ones of the keys 4f the shaft 80 is rocked clockwise, allowing the springs 81 to likewise rock the arms 78, if otherwise allowed to do so, causing the printer wheels 76 to move into printing contact with a printing ribbon 87 and a portion of the paper tape 22 supported by a platen 23.

Describing now the construction of the form printer 20 (Figs. 1 and 3 to 6), the latter is mounted on a U- shaped bracket 125, the sides of which are suitably secured to the sides of an amount printer frame shown partly at 126.

A cross piece 127 of the bracket yieldably supports a Slide carrier or table 128. The latter supports a slide 130 for movement laterally of the machine into either of two positions. Headed studs 131 extend downwardly from the carrier 128 and are slideably mounted in bearing holes formed in the cross piece 127. Leaf springs. 132 are secured to the cross piece 127 by screws 133 and engage respective pairs of the studs 131 at their outer ends whereby to yieldably hold the heads of such studs against the lower surface of the cross piece and thus maintain the carrier and slide 130 in a slightly raised position.

Flexible metal strips 134 and 135 are provided on opposite sides of the slide and are secured to the upper surface of the slide holder by screws, i.e. 136 (Fig. 6), located to one side of the path of the paper tape 22.

It will be noted that the strips normally extend a slight distance from the upper surface of the carrier to permit a paper form indicated by dot-dash lines 137 to he slipped therebetween. Also, the metal strips 134. and 135 have embossed thereon characters effective to print the titles, 23 and 24, respectively (Fig. 8) on the tape 22 which is guided over the slide and strips 134 and after passing over the platen 23.

A printing head or roller support 138 is located above the slide 13f! and carrier 12%, and is pivotally connected by studs 140 to upward extending portions of the sides of the form printer bracket 125. The roller support has downwardly extending side flanges 141, each having long slots 139 and relatively shorter slots 142 therein provided to guide axles 143 and 144 of printer rollers 145 and 146, respectively.

The rollers are formed of porous material impregnated with a fluid ink and are effective, when rolled in contact over the surface of the tape 22 to imprint thereon an image of the characters embossed on the strips 134 and 135 as well as an image of the customers token 26 when such is mounted on the slide 130 and positioned in the path of the rollers.

The opposite ends of the axle 143 are connected to links 145a having studs 140a extending therefrom and embraced by slots formed in the opposite side arms of an actuator bail 147. The latter is pivoted at 148 to the sides of the printer bracket 125 and is connected at 149 to the upper end of an actuator link 149a. The ends of the axle 144 are embraced by slots 150 formed in the links 145a. Springs 159 extending between the axles 143 and 144 normally hold the roller 146 in its rearmost position, as illustrated, wherein the axle 144 engages the rear ends of the slots 142.

The printing head 138 has an opening 1153 therein through which the tape 22 is deflected by a deflector plate 1154 suitably attached to the slide carrier 128. An edge of the printing head, defining the opening 1153, is serrated at 1155 to facilitate tearing the tape at the conclusion of a sales transaction.

The link 149a is reciprocated once during a form print cycle only and for this purpose is arranged to be operated by an eccentric 151 keyed on the drive shaft 52. The link terminates in a bifurcated section slideable over a sleeve 152 mounted on the drive shaft. A transversely extending slot 153 formed in the link embraces a stud 154 carried on a link 155 which is pivoted to a depending arm 156 secured to a form print control bail 157. The bail extends across the machine and is pivotally sup ported at 158 on opposite ends by the machine frame.

The control bail 157 is rocked counterclockwise upon depression of the form print bar 18, as will appear later, and in doing so will be effective to position the pin 154 within a shorter slot 160 formed in an actuator slide 161 lying in juxtaposition with the link 149a. The slide 161 has a slot 162 therein also guided over the sleeve 152. A tab 163 struck out from the slot 162 and extending from the member 161 is guided in the bifurcated extension of the link 149a, to prevent rotation of the member 161.

Rollers 164 and 165 on the slide 161 extend in rolling engagement with the eccentric 151 and are thus effective to reciprocate the slide once during every cycle of the machine. The extent of this reciprocation is effective to cause the bail 147 and links 145a to move the printing rollers 145 and 146 along the lengths of their slots 139 and 142, respectively, and thus transfer an imprint of the type characters carried by the token 26 and strips 134 and 135 onto the tape 22.

It will be noted that the roller 146 is moved a shorter distance than the roller 145 since the latter will advance an appreciable distance in the slots 139 before the righthand ends of the slots 150 in the links 145a will pick up the axle 144 of roller 146 to advance the same. This arrangement enables the roller 145 to roll over both the strip 134 and the token 26 while the roller 146 rolls over the strip 135 only.

The rollers 146 and 145 are normally located a slight distance. above the substantially coextensive surfaces of the token 26 and strips 134 and 135 to permit the tape 22 to freely pass therebetween when the latter is advanced. However, means are provided for lowering the printing head 138 about the pivot studs 140 at the start of a form print operation so as to effect an intimate rolling contact of the rollers 145 and 146 against the tape 22 which is thereby pressed against the type characters carried by the strips 135 and 136 and the token 26. For this purpose, a bail 170 is extended over the printing head, having its side arms pivoted thereto by studs 171. The lower ends of the bail arms project under ears 172 formed in levers 173 which are pivotally supported at 174 on the bracket 125 and have rollers 175 thereon embraced by camming slots 176 formed in the arms of the bail 147. During the initial counterclockwise rocking movement of the bail 147, the levers 173 are cammed downwardly to likewise draw the bail 170 and printing head 138 downwardly by the studs 171.

When the bail 147 is again rocked clockwise to its illustrated home position, the bail 170 and printing head 138 will be counterbalanced by the springs 177 to their illustrated home positions.

In the event it is desired to gain access to the interior of the form printer, as for example, to write on the upper surface of the tape 22, the bail may be rocked clockwise against the action of springs 177 until the lower projecting ends of the arm or bail 170 are removed from under the ears 172, and thereafter the springs 177 will cause the printing head to be swung rearward about the pivot support studs 140, the studs 140a swinging free from the slots in the bail 147.

When the rollers 145 and 146 are returned to their original positions, the spring 177 is effective to again raise the printing head slightly, permitting the tape 22 to be fed forwardly any desired amount. This may also be accomplished manually by a knob 167 (Fig. 1) which extends through an opening 168 in the cover 254 of the machine and is attached to the paper support platen 23.

In order to insert a customers token 26 in position to obtain an imprint thereof on the tape 22 during the form print operation, the slide 130 is moved to the right in Fig. 5 to a position where the token may be fitted in suitably shaped locating grooves 180 formed in the slide. Thereafter, the slide is returned to the left, aligning the token with the path of movement of the rollers 145.

-It is frequently desirable to obtain an imprint of the customers token, i.e. 26, on an additional slip such as a merchandise handling form or the like as indicated by the dotted lines 137. For this purpose the form 137 is slipped under the strips 134 and 135 (see Fig. 3) so that an imprint of the characters on these strips will not be transferred to the form. The under surface of the tape 22 may be provided with a carbon or chemically active transfer coating so that an image of the characters on the token will be imprinted on the top surfaces of both the tape 22 and the form 137, at the same time. If desired, the form 137 may also be located over the top of either of the strips 134 and 135 so as to obtain an imprint of the type characters on the selected one of the strips.

This undercoating of the paper tape 22 also makes possible a transfer of the amount printer characters to a second tape 22a which underlies the tape 22 in juxtaposition to the platen 23 and which is rewound within the machine upon a take-up roll 189.

Describing now the form print controls, the form print bar 18 (Figs. 1 and 7) has its key stern slideably supported in aligned slots formed in the key support plates 42 and 43 and overlies a pin 181 carried by an arm (not shown) pivotally supported in a manner similar to arm 94 (Fig. The pin 181 overlies an extension 182 of the form print control bail 157.

The bail 157 has a forwardly extending arm 183 (Fig. 10) thereon which overlies the forementioned total key operated pin 93. Thus, when the form print bar 18 is depressed, rocking the control bail 157 counterclockwise,

the pin 93 will be lowered to initiate a totaling operation whereby to clear the accumulator. At this time, the various racks 11 will advance to set the printer to print the department number, clerk number and merchandise code as set up on the keyboard.

Having thus described the invention, what we desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a pair of juxtaposed printing plates in upwardly facing position, one of said plates being flexible vertically whereby a record medium may be placed under said one plate and over the other, a printer roller, means supporting said roller for movement over said printing plates, and means for guiding a second record medium between said printing plates and said roller.

2. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a pair of juxtaposed printing plates in upwardly facing position, one of said plates being flexible vertically whereby a record medium may be placed either over or under said one plate and over the other, a printing roller, and means supporting said roller for movement over said plates whereby to transfer impressions from one or both of said printing plates onto said record medium.

3. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a pair of juxtaposed printing plates in upwardly facing position, one of said plates being of thin flexible material having type characters extending upward- 1y thereon, a table under said last mentioned plate, the flexibility of last mentioned plate permitting a record medium to be placed between last mentioned plate and said table and over the other plate, a printing roller, and means supporting said roller for movement over said printing plates whereby to transfer impressions from one or both of said printing plates onto said record medium.

4. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a pair of juxtaposed printing plates in upwardly facing position, one of said plates being flexible vertically whereby a record medium may be placed under or over said one of said plates and over the other, a printer head pivotally supported on said frame, a printer roller, means on said head supporting said roller for movement over said printing plates, and means for moving said head to engage said rollers with said record medium.

5. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a printing plate in upwardly facing position, a printer head pivotally supported by said frame, a printer roller, means on said head supporting said roller for movement over said printing plate, means normally holding said head in position to locate said roller above the surface of said printing plate whereby a recording medium may be passed between said roller and said printing plate, means for moving said roller across said printing plate, cam actuated means operable by said last mentioned means for moving said head toward said printing plate whereby to engage said record medium, and manually operable means for disabling said cam actuated means.

6. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a printing plate in upwardly facing position, a printer head pivotally supported by said frame, a printer roller, means on said head for guiding said roller over said printing plate, spring means normally holding said head in position to locate said roller above the surface of said printing plate whereby a record medium may be passed between said roller and said printing plate, drive means for moving said roller across said printing plate, means operable by said drive means for moving said head toward said printing plate whereby to engage said roller with said record medium, and means for selectively disconnecting said drive means from said roller and said head whereby said head may be swung away from said printing plate.

7. In a sales transaction machine, a frame, means on said frame to hold a printing plate in upwardly facing position, a flexible strip juxtaposed to said printing plate whereby a record medium may be placed under said strip and over said printing plate, said strip having type characters on the upper surface thereof, a printer roller, means supporting said roller for movement over said printing plate, and means for guiding a second record medium over said printing plate and said strip and under said roller.

8. in a sales transaction machine, a frame, a printing plate on said frame in upwardly facing position, a flexible strip on said frame juxtaposed to said printing plate whereby a record medium may be placed under said strip and over said plate, said strip having type characters ex- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,842,086 Hartley Ian. 19, 1932 1,941,667 Eley et al Jan. 2, 1934 2,370,730 Hopping Mar. 6, 1945 2,664,819 Janke Jan. 5, 1954 2,692,555 Gruver Oct. 26, 1954 

